Recovery of the Mind
by Tiro
Summary: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Recovery of the Mind**

**Summary**: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Blood, violence, some other things.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter.

Alright, this story is out of character kinda a story. Harry is not the same, Severus is not the same, Draco is not the same, many are not the same. Voldemort is still a bastard (unlike my usual stories), Dumbledore is nice (haven't done that in like forever) and some other things. So be prepared for that.

Happens after Sirius dies.

This chapter is focusing on the summer, so no mayor action in here.

-

**Chapter One**

Harry had first thought spending a summer with Professor Severus Snape was going to be the end of the world. He had prepared himself for insults, hurting remarks and glares. Why he had to be under Snape's wings due to the blood wards at the Dursleys failing when they threw him out he had no idea. Dumbledore had said the man had the strongest wards he had ever seen on a house, and that Harry would be safe there. Harry himself had not enjoyed the images he had seen when he knew he had to spend a whole summer with the man.

All he got though was a slightly grumpy man who made sure that he ate three times a day, kept his hair and room neat, and the only rules were not enter Severus' bedroom without permission (except in an emergency), not enter the potions lab without permission and don't run in the manor.

And after one week of heavy nightmares of Sirius dying all over again, Harry found himself looking at the real Severus Snape. And liked the man immediately. The oddness of his humour, the depths of his laughter, his genuine interest in healing and perhaps obsession with potions… Harry felt he had found a friend. A real friend.

-

"Harry!" Severus' voice sounded nervous.

The teen rose up from his chair in the library, went out in the hall and nearly collided with the man.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Draco Malfoy is coming to spend a few weeks here," Severus said. "He refused the Dark Lord, and Narcissa wished to hide him until he got back to Hogwarts."

Draco Malfoy… Harry's rival and sworn enemy. Or at least the teen had been that. Now Harry knew it was childish emotions playing a big part in that rivalry. And then maybe both denial and pretending that Draco was still a prick.

He did the only thing he felt was right; he shrugged, and said:

"Okay. He touch my stuff without my permission, I kill him."

Severus raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

-

Normally Harry and Draco would have been at each other's throats nonstop but to his surprise Harry did not feel anything hostile against the blonde when said teen appeared on the doorstep with a bandage over his left eye, his hair tousled and not washed for days, and a severe limping to his right leg. The teen did not even snarl 'Potter' at him; instead he murmured a tired 'Hi' before almost falling into Harry's arms. The raven-haired teen's startled yelp brought Severus to the front door within moments.

After that day, they were no longer enemies. Harry found out the truth. How frightened Draco had been of his father all his life. How Narcissa tried to protect her child the best she could but now had to flee the country. She would have taken Draco with her if it had not been for he had to finish his education. She would not let him drag behind just because she wanted to feel safe. She left him in the care of Severus.

Severus himself had not answered his master's summons, and was now considered a traitor. So until the world was rid of Voldemort, the man could not show his face outside the wards of his manor or Hogwarts. That put some pressure on Harry, because he knew Severus liked being outside.

-

Draco and Harry could end up in the most strangest, and sometimes, most embarrassing positions at times. They fought a lot, friendly fighting, when they were bored and more often than not they rested for a while where they had stopped.

So it was no surprise when Severus came wandering into the living room to see Draco sprawled out over the fur carpet, Harry resting his head on the blonde's stomach. They both were dosing in a light nap. The potions master arched an eyebrow at the sight, shook his head and sat down.

Draco woke up first to see Harry still sleeping. Without his glasses (Severus had helped Harry fix his vision), somehow the raven-haired teen managed to appear younger. And since he was so short and scrawny already, Draco felt like he was looking at a ten-year old when Harry was curled up like that.

He idly stroke the black hair, knowing that during nightmares Harry liked it. It calmed him down. Although now he seemed to be fine.

"Still in dreamland?" Severus asked as he looked at Draco's half-lidded eyes.

Draco shook his head sleepily, continuing to look at Harry. After a while he said quietly:

"He looks like a child."

"That he does," Severus agreed. "Something that made you think of this in particular?"

"No, it's just… this is the one supposed to kill Voldemort." Draco was not afraid of the name. He would never become afraid of it. "And he looks like a ten-year old sleeping with his head on my stomach."

"Really now?"

"You guys are talking about me, aren't you?" Harry slurred out.

"Not at all," Severus said with a faint smile.

"How can you believe that?" Draco asked.

"Heard you… and I don't look like a ten-year old," the teen protested weakly.

"Oh, sorry," Draco said. "I meant eight-year old."

"Be lucky, you horrible brat, that I'm too tired to beat you."

"Brat? You're younger than me," Draco said in amusement.

"Hn," was Harry's long and productive answer before he fell asleep again.

-

Harry knew none of his friends understood what was going on at the manor. Everyone expected him to hate both Severus and Draco, everyone expected him to come flying after having broken free from the manor. Therefore it was a surprise when they got a letter where he stated he was fine, he had loads of fun and that he could finally beat Severus in chess.

That did not make sense at all. After hearing a lot of complaining, and having run out of both ear-plugs and excuses, Albus went to see if everything was well. He knew it was but decided to indulge Harry's friends, Hermione and Ron, the rest of the Weasley clan and the Order.

The sight that met him when he stepped out from the fire-place made him want to burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Not a word," Severus growled menacingly, as menacing as he could be when his hair was coloured pink, his robes bright blue and his skin green. He did not sound very dangerous once you looked at him. His pink eyebrow was twitching, making Albus slowly become blue in his face in his effort to not laugh in his poor potions master's face. It was hard work though.

"I presume it was young Harry's work?" the aged man managed to ask, holding onto his side in another effort to not start laughing.

"Actually, they ganged up on me," Severus grumbled. "They claimed it was revenge for all those horrible potions lessons I had thrown upon them last year."

A camera's flash blinded them momentarily, and in the next moment Severus was flying towards the doors, screaming bloody murder.

Hearing twin shrieks on the other side, and the sound of feet climbing the stairs _very_ fast, Albus came to the conclusion the boys used their Quidditch skills to the best to avoid one livid Severus Snape. Reassured the man was out of hearing-distance, a snort broke loose from the aged man. Followed by another. Followed by a very un-Albus-like giggle. Before he finally collapsed in a chair, howling in laughter.

-

Albus had calmed down by the time he heard two people run the stairs, downwards he believed. His eyes widened slightly. Were they still chased?

Two shrieking teens ran into the living room, saw Albus and decided he was the best shield. They both darted in behind them and Dumbledore stared bewildered at them. Severus entered, looking out of breath and gasped out:

"How bloody long can you two run?!"

"Much longer than you!" Harry said, poking his head out to watch the man.

"Yeah! You need to start exercise!" Draco said, doing the same as Harry. The potions master growled and they ducked behind Albus again.

"Can you please change me back?" Severus said in defeat. "I've looked like this for better part of the morning."

The two teens looked at each other, still grasping the headmaster's robes a bit, and then shrugged. They both looked at Severus, their heads on each side of the aged man and snapped their fingers at the same time. The man was surrounded by smoke. When Severus became visible again, he looked like normal. He slumped his shoulders in relief and finally was able to greet Albus.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked the headmaster curiously.

"Oh, there were so many people harassing me about my decision of sending you to Severus that they managed to convince me go to here and see if you were alright."

Harry felt a small amount of dread going through him. What if Dumbledore decided he was going away from Severus and Draco? Harry was not going to leave though, no mater what anyone said.

"And as I can see," Albus said, "you seem to be doing just fine. Now, if you would let go of my robes… ah, thank you very much. Is it too much trouble to ask for some tea? I have no wish to return too early to them; they will be rather upset and of course not believe when I tell them. Plus I still am waiting for fresh ear-plugs to protect my poor ears from them."

"How about a Firewhiskey?" Severus asked. "And no, you two can't taste."

"Damn," the teens muttered.

-

Draco and Harry shared a room, and it made no sense for Severus. The boys were sixteen now, so why did they share a room? The potions master knew from experience he liked to have a room of his own when he was in their age.

When he had not been to Harry's room (also Draco's now) for a long time (due to the nightmares Harry had Severus often went there to calm the teen down) the potions master decided to peek inside a late night after he had finished his potion for the day. The sight surprised him a bit.

Alright for two boys, teens, to share a room. It was more rare for two boys to share a _bed_. True, it was a four-poster bed but still… Severus walked closer, his feet making no sound on the soft carpet and his robe swishing ever so gently.

Harry was lying on Draco's outstretched arm on his side, facing the blonde. Draco was lying on his back, one of his arms across his stomach and the other one acting like the raven's pillow. They were in Draco's bed so Harry had taken his covers and blankets from his bed and bundled himself up while Draco had his own covers and blankets. They both looked oddly at peace.

Severus left, and closed the door softly behind himself.

Tbc…

* * *

What do you think? This was just a chapter to explain Harry's relationship with the two Slytherins. Next chapter will be more action.

Chapter two: Sixth year starts, argues erupts and Voldemort is planning something…

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	2. Chapter 2

**Recovery of the Mind**

**Summary**: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Blood, violence, maybe some other things.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter.

Happens after Sirius dies.

-

**Chapter**** Two**

Harry looked around the room for the last time; they were going to Hogwarts three days before as Severus would return and make sure everything was in its place.

"Missing it already?"

Draco's voice woke the teen up. Harry turned around and looked at the blonde.

"It's my room," Harry said. "And yours but that's beside the point… it's the first room I've ever been able to call my own."

"Well, it isn't going anywhere," Draco said and swung an arm around him. "It'll still be waiting for us when the year's over."

"Yeah…"

Severus' somewhat irritated shout (they were already late as it was) made them both scramble downstairs.

-

Harry looked around the dorm. He felt alone. At least Draco stayed with the potions master in Severus' quarters due to the future hostility from the Death Eater-children. No doubt had they already heard about the blonde's refusal to take the Mark.

"Hello Harry."

The teen looked around and saw Albus smile at him.

"Hello sir," he replied before turning back to his bed.

"Missing your home?"

"Severus' home?"

"I daresay it's yours as well."

"Oh… yeah, I'm missing it a bit."

Albus sat down on one of the beds, looked outside the window for a little while before saying:

"I've spoken to Severus. He is your guardian now."

The potions master had taken guardianship of both Harry and Draco earlier in the summer. Harry nodded to show he understood.

"Even if you had parents working as teachers, you would not be allowed to live permanently in their quarters without good reason," the aged man said. "But you would be allowed to live there for, let's say three or four nights a week."

The teen looked at Albus, dropping the clothes he had been holding. His own clothes. Clothes that fit, and that Severus had bought for him.

"Sir… are you saying that… I can live with Severus?"

"For three or four nights a week," Albus said with a nod. "Hogwarts was kind enough to add another room to his quarters, a room that will be yours."

Harry did something he had never done before; he hugged the man, therefore startling them both.

-

Draco looked up as Harry entered and jumped up to greet the teen.

"You heard from the headmaster?" the blonde asked.

Harry nodded.

"Great! Come on, let's go and see your room!"

The teen allowed Draco to drag him with a smile on his face.

-

"Harry, are you mental?!"

Ron's screech made the teen wince. He looked away from the redhead and focused on the wall opposite of him. The welcoming feast had been tense and awkward and now he, Ron, Hermione and Neville had gathered on his bed. Seamus and Dean were still downstairs.

"Harry, did professor Snape take care of you?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron.

"Yeah," Harry said and looked at her. "He made sure I ate enough, helped me correct my vision and even bought clothes for me."

"But it's Snape!" Ron said with wide eyes. "And Malfoy!"

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded. "If they were nice to Harry, maybe it's something we've missed and not a play on their part! Harry, you said Draco refused the Dark Mark?"

"Yeah. That's why he's living with Severus," Harry said.

"Oh, so it's Severus now?! What will you be saying next? Drake?!"

"Ronald!" the girl screamed and smacked him over the head, hard. "Don't insult them! Harry knows them much better than us!"

Neville looked at Harry as the two broke into an argument, Ron's long arms waving around and Hermione almost rapping her pointing finger in Ron's face, and said:

"Are they nice?"

Harry nodded.

"Then it's okay," the still somewhat clumsy boy said with a smile. Harry could not help but smile back.

-

Ron had stopped talking to him, apparently still angry about the thought of Harry liking Severus and Draco. The raven-haired teen was upset with it but knew his redheaded friend needed time to think this out. Hermione was more understanding, and Neville had just taken it as it came. Ginny had shrugged and said it was okay, and Luna had just given him a dazzling odd smile.

Harry was in a gloomy mood as he walked down to the dungeons that evening. Ron had been secretly glaring at him all until Hermione had gone there to give him another lecture. Harry had taken that moment to sneak away. He was not supposed to go to the dungeons until tomorrow but he wanted to be with the two Slytherins.

The rooms were empty as he arrived but the raven-haired teen paid little attention to that. He opened the door to his room and walked in before falling down onto the bed, kicking off his shoes in the process. There he curled up and dragged the covers over himself, hoping he would wake up and Ron would be his friend again.

-

Draco noticed Harry's door was open and frowned.

"Sev, when was Harry coming down?"

"Tomorrow… why?" the potions master said.

"His door is open. It wasn't when we left."

The two of them gently walked across the room and looked inside. Harry's unruly hair was the only thing visible along with one of his hands. His shoes had been dropped to the floor carelessly and the bag rested next to the door. Severus entered and gently pulled down the covers. The teen was asleep, his forehead creased in a frown.

The potions master sat down and gently stroke Harry's hair. The teen moved his head towards the hand, sighing softly but did not wake up.

"What do you think happened?" Draco asked quietly as he sat down on the other side.

"Probably Weasley," Severus said. "He has always been incredibly narrow-minded, especially when it comes to Malfoys. And greasy gits like myself I presume."

Draco carefully got under the covers and settled against Harry's back. He knew the raven-haired teen drew comfort from contact. Severus did not comment; he merely transfigured their clothing to night-clothes before leaving.

Harry turned in his sleep, his frown smoothed out with the help of Severus' light touch and now resting with his head comfortably against Draco's chest. The blonde teen sighed softly before closing his eyes.

-

When he woke up again, Harry's green eyes were peering up at him. Draco smiled, still a bit in dream-land and said:

"Slept good?"

Harry nodded and yawned.

"What time is it?" the blonde asked.

"Dunno… too early. Sev isn't up yet."

"Meaning it's before six," the blonde whined. "Go back to sleep."

"I can't…"

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

Draco huffed impatiently and wrapped Harry up tighter.

"Close your eyes, focus on being here and sleep," the Slytherin commanded.

"Pushy Malfoy." Harry's voice was muffled against the blonde's night-shirt.

"Golden Boy."

"Ice-Prince."

"Light-lover."

"Will you two please shut up?!"

They both looked startled to the door where Severus stood. A vein ticked on his forehead.

"Oh good morning Sev," Draco said brightly and annoyingly loud. As the potions master's eyebrow twitched, the blonde grinned. Mission accomplished.

"Go back to sleep," the man said. "It's only four in the morning."

Considering this, Draco gave in and dragged the raven-haired teen as he fell back to the bed. Severus came up and drew the covers over them again. Harry snuggled down between the covers and promptly slung an arm around Draco's middle and pressed the side of his head towards the blonde's chest. Draco glanced down at him before closing his eyes. Severus shook his head at them both before moving out.

-

"Where were you?"

Harry looked into Hermione's concerned face and answered:

"Severus and Draco."

"Oh." She made a little aha-face and then continued with her breakfast. "They were nice?"

"Hermione, they haven't been anything but nice to me lately. They are totally okay," the raven-haired teen said.

"Just a bit worried, with Ron being a prat and all," she replied. "Where is he by the way?"

"Sitting with Dean and Seamus, ignoring the two of us," Harry said with more than depression in his voice.

"Harry, don't worry," Hermione said and took his hand under the table. She squeezed it and continued, "If he's not stopping with the ridiculous behaviour soon, I'm going to search up the heaviest book I can find and bang it over his dense skull."

Harry could not help but laugh, and she continued:

"Although I fear he won't even notice, so stuck up his ass as he is. But I will make him listen. He can't hold a grudge forever, he's not a small brat with a temper tantrum."

"Sometimes I can't help but think he is a small brat with a huge temper."

"True," she muttered.

-

They really should have known it. Voldemort had been quiet, too quiet. He had lost a valuable servant in form of Draco Malfoy and his precious potions master yet he had done nothing. So they should have seen it coming miles before them. And yet they did not.

Harry was walking down a hall, alone, when two sets of hands grabbed him. He tried to scream but a hand covered his mouth and he struggled to get loose. A hit on his head, and his world turned into darkness.

-

Severus was frantic, more frantic than anyone else… well, maybe beside Draco and Hermione. The two of them were climbing the walls and shouting at everyone. The potions master thought the poor Weasley boy would soon have a heart attack as he watched Draco behave just like the bushy-haired girl.

Albus had sent out the Order members to find out who could have taken Harry, if it was students or hidden Death Eaters, and some of them he sent out to check plausible locations where the teen might be. He sent Hagrid to check the Forbidden Forest, knowing the half-giant could get some help from some of the creatures. Remus went with him, the headmaster not daring sending the poor werewolf any further. He looked ready to collapse any minute.

"Draco, sit down," Severus finally hissed and forced the teen down onto a chair. Draco kept changing position in the chair that Severus grew annoyed, and even more frantic than before. He forced Draco up, sat down himself before pulling down his godson on his knee. It had been a long time since he had down that with the teen, but the blonde was far from complaining. He wound his arms around the potions master's neck and said quietly:

"He's alone, Sev… alone and probably scared."

"I know… believe me, I know."

-

Harry woke up and opened his eyes to a slit. He was lying down, and he saw Voldemort sitting on a throne-like chair with the Death Eaters fawning all over him. He saw Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle as well; they must have been the ones to bring him there.

He closed his eyes again, trying to remain calm. It was not that easy but he managed. There was a big possibility he might die here… would he let himself do that? Would he let Voldemort win?

No. Voldemort was not going to win, not now, not ever. If Harry had to die to ensure Voldemort was gone, he would do so.

"Awake? I can hear you thinking, Potter."

Voldemort's hissing voice was unpleasant as ever, but Harry felt light after making that unofficial promise to himself. To protect everyone from the Dark Lord. The raven-haired teen opened his eyes, squinting at the strong light compared to the darkness behind his eyelids and said:

"Is it good morning, or good evening?"

"Evening," the Dark Lord said, cocking his head to the side.

"Oh… well then, good evening, Voldemort. Mind if I sit up?"

"Of course not. Please do."

Harry did so, not even reacting to the aspect of his hands being bound, and sat up with his legs crossed Indian-style. He cracked his neck a bit and rolled his shoulders to get some of the stiffness out before saying:

"Much better. What do I owe the pleasure of visiting you?"

Voldemort looked slightly confused at his behaviour, but Harry felt he was floating on clouds. Nothing was wrong with the world, because soon the Dark Lord of the world was going to die. How? He had no idea but hey, he was Harry Potter! Harry Potter could do anything! Or at least according to the Ministry and the newspapers he could. Maybe he was a bit overconfident tonight, considering he was at the Dark Lord's mercy but who cared? He sure didn't!

"You are going to die tonight," Voldemort said mildly.

"Funny. I was thinking the same about you, actually. Are we both mind-readers or simply fucking amazing with our thinking abilities?"

"Are you high on something?" the Dark Lord had to ask, slightly amused while twirling his wand around. Harry knew his own was at Hogwarts; he had left it in his trunk. Well, he was a bit more immune against Moody's paranoia behaviour than everyone else and tended to forget his wand now and then.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know. Merlin knows how many potions Severus can chug down your throat in one day." True actually; Severus had that morning giving him a lot of potions due to a slight cold he had. The man was more paranoid than Moody; only he treated a cold as if it was a deadly disease that needed to be dealt with _at this very moment_. Good old Severus.

"So it's down to Severus now?"

"Yeah, kinda. Don't worry; ain't gonna call you anything else than Voldemort."

"Why thank you," the man said and rose up. "However, we must proceed with our planning."

"Oh, so soon? Well then, by all means, help yourself. Can't do much now can I?"

"No… you can't."

Then Voldemort forced himself into Harry's mind.

-

The pain should be there, but Harry felt nothing. Instead he sat in a room lit up by a fire, in a comfortable chair and just waited for Voldemort to arrive.

It did not take the man long. He stepped into the room but Harry did not bother greeting him. Instead he continued to hum at a song Draco usually hummed. You know, a kind of song that everyone gets stuck with and has to hum it? The song was not all that horrible so Harry did not bother trying to stop.

"I didn't know you were that good with Occlumency," Voldemort commented as he walked forward, slightly wary.

"Neither did I," Harry said. He was fairly certain he sucked at Occlumency. So how had he managed to create this room? "Have a seat, please."

A chair popped up behind the Dark Lord and his eyes widened a fraction. Nonetheless, he sat down. Harry looked at him and said with a smile:

"You sure it's me who's going to die tonight?"

Voldemort's eyes widened even more, as the room plummeted into darkness.

-

The magical spiking made the entire Order move to the location it came from, even Severus despite the protests from Albus. The man's glare had made the old headmaster cave.

They came to the location and were left staring.

It had been a manor once… probably. Now it was shattered, wood and brick scattered all over the place. Dead bodies littered the place, Death Eaters all of them. Some of them moved or groaned; they were quickly taken care off and sent off to the Ministry.

"Harry!"

Severus' yell made them all turn to the source.

The potions master dropped to his knees and pulled the body up from the ground. Harry's body was limp, flopping, a dead weight resting against Severus' chest, his eyes closed like in sleep. Voldemort lay a few feet away, eyes open but unseeing. Small trails of blood were trickling out from the man's ears, quickly slowing down as the body cooled.

The Dark Lord was dead.

-

They all waited anxiously for Poppy to finish her scans. Once she did, her grave face made them all freeze. Hermione's bottom lip was quivering.

"He's alive," she finally said as she tucked Harry in more firmly. "But…"

"But what?" Draco asked, his face ashen white.

"His mind is destroyed," she said. "I don't know how he will be when, or if, he ever wakes up."

Tbc…

* * *

Moving fast, I know but hope no one gets upset over that.

Chapter three: Harry wakes up. How will he be?

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	3. Chapter 3

**Recovery of the Mind**

**Summary**: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Blood, violence, maybe some other things.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter.

Happens after Sirius dies.

-

**Chapter**** Three**

Severus did not look up as the door opened to the private room they had put Harry in; he did not want to look away from the boy for one moment. One of his thumbs was stroking the teen's hand gently, his eyes watching the rise and fall of the chest. Harry looked so small in the bed, all curled up underneath warm sheets.

"Lunch."

Albus' voice made him look up briefly before moving back.

"You can't starve yourself to death. What would Harry say about that?" the headmaster said. "Come on; you don't need to leave his side. I'll just put the tray next to you."

It was with great reluctance the man let go of Harry's hand and he ate his meal in silence, and after two minutes he was back with holding the teen's hand. Albus sighed; well, at least they had gotten some food into the man.

-

Harry felt like he was struggling against something, or someone… was it Voldemort? No, he was dead. And he would not struggle with someone; Voldemort either killed or tortured. At some rare occasions he spared someone, but that was so he could have some fun later on. And afterwards, he killed them. Naturally.

So no, it was not Voldemort. The struggle was gentle, trying to lull him to sleep, telling him to sleep, to rest for a while until everything got sorted out.

_Got__ what sorted out?_ There was nothing wrong with him… right?

_Sleep now. You don't need to wake up until it's all finished._

_What will be finished? _Harry wondered.

_The restoration of your mind that Voldemort destroyed._

_Who are you? _the teen wanted to know even as he began to relax.

_I am you, Harry. Now go to sleep._

Harry did.

-

After two weeks, Harry stirred for the first time. Within minutes Severus had gotten Poppy, Albus, Draco, Hermione and Ron there with his shouting.

The medic witch ran several scans as Harry moved weakly. She lowered her wand with a sigh and said:

"I can't feel him."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, tear-eyed.

"I can't feel Harry's presence," she elaborated. "He's not there."

"Is it like… with Neville's parents?" Ron asked quietly.

Poppy did not answer but her eyes said it all. Everyone sagged in defeat, Severus hiding his face in his hands. Albus closed his eyes painfully; a careless moment had taken away Harry's chances of a normal life. A moment Albus had the chance to prevent. Poppy tried to comfort them but knew it was futile; the Harry they had known was gone.

And at that time, Harry happened to open his eyes as well. They did not notice as Hermione had begun to cry despite the medic witch's soothing words. They all now moved to try to comfort her.

The green eyes looked around the room, every sound was too loud and all the light was too bright, it all was too much, too much, _too much_…

He opened his mouth and gave out a wail.

-

They all jumped in fright at the wail and whipped around. Harry was clawing at his eyes, and coming from his mouth was the most horrifying sound they had ever heard. Severus was the one to move first but he could do nothing. Each touch sent Harry into a fit, and they all tried to figure out what was wrong before he clawed his own eyes out.

Finally Draco, desperate to calm his friend down, pried the fingers away and shouted right into Harry's face:

"Calm down!"

As they all prepared to shout at him for being too harsh, Harry went silent and stared wide-eyed at the blonde teen. Draco slowly let go of the other teen's wrists but Harry made no move. His eyes followed Draco's face, almost unblinkingly.

"Do you know who I am?" Draco asked.

Instead of an answer with words, all they got was a sort of gurgle.

"His mind is completely gone," Poppy said quietly. "He maybe has the mentality of a small child. Come on, we must let him rest. Young Draco, step away from the bed, and yes, Severus, even you. Come along."

As Draco was removed from Harry's bedside, the injured teen did what his instincts told him to get the blonde back; he began screaming.

"Maybe a Calming Draught?" Hermione suggested hurriedly, anything to soothe her friend who clearly was not happy with something.

Draco turned around and walked back.

"Malfoy, she said to leave Harry alone!" Ron burst out, his face steadily growing red in most likely anger. Just because Harry and Draco were friends did not mean Ron was becoming friend with Draco as fast.

The moment Draco got back where Harry wanted him, the raven-haired teen stopped screaming and gave out another gurgle.

"I don't think he knows who I am, but it seems he wants me here," Draco said quietly.

-

Harry did not let Draco go, screaming every time someone tried, however, it was not like the blonde teen wanted to leave his friend. Instead he was there in the room, either telling Harry stories or soothing him when the raven-haired teen got upset.

Ron and Hermione did not visit as often, both unsure of what to do with this new Harry. Draco though fell easily into the habit of responding to Harry's gurgles or half-words, and always smiled back when Harry smiled no matter how strange the smile was. The two however, found it difficult to see their friend in that state. They were used to the Harry they had met on the train, on their way to the first year on Hogwarts. They had grown up with that Harry, and were completely uncomfortable with this new one no matter what they did.

Poppy came in to do her usual scans and looked at the two Gryffindors briefly. She wondered why they were even there; they clearly did not want to be there. Draco, however, he was another tale. He wanted to be with Harry. He was not uncomfortable with this child-like Harry whilst Ron and Hermione were very much so.

"And how are you doing today, Harry?" she asked with a smile as she sat the tray with potions down on the nightstand.

She could barely make out the word 'Good' but it was there between the gurgles and slurs.

"Seems like he's getting better when it comes to respond with words," she said to Draco. She knew it had been the blonde teen who had taught Harry that. "Has he been in any pain?"

"No," Draco said. "It seems like the swelling of his brain has stopped."

"Well, we'll know in a few minutes," she said and started her scans.

Harry looked at her wand in wonder, his eyes huge and one of his hands holding Draco's. The blonde teen did not complain, and he relaxed as Ron and Hermione left the room.

"They shouldn't come," Poppy said. "They are uncomfortable and I can tell Harry doesn't understand why they are here."

"They say they are here because Harry is their friend, but they never speak with him," Draco said bitterly. "They never say a word, just stand and stare at him."

The medic witch finished and looked down at the parchments.

"He has sustained a kind of brain damage," she said as Albus and Severus opened the door. "Merlin, are you two mind-readers?"

"Why do you ask?" Albus said.

"I was about to read up what was wrong with Harry."

"Oh please, continue," the headmaster said as Severus sat down on the foot of the bed, laying a hand on Harry's foot to let the teen know he was there.

"As I said, he has sustained a kind of brain damage," she said and looked at them all. "They can't be healed instantly with magic; only time will tell if he will become as he used to be."

"And until then?" Severus said.

"He needs to re-learn everything," Poppy said. "As it stands now he might remember everything that has happened, but he doesn't have the means to tell us that. Or he has all of his memories locked away, leaving only instincts an infant would have. The reason he screams when he's displeased is because he doesn't know any other way to tell us something. He needs to learn to walk, talk, read, write… everything."

"How serious is the brain damage at this point?" Albus asked as he absently patted Harry's foot over the blanket. Said teen did not even twitch, but instead nuzzled his face against Draco's arm a bit. He clearly was not interested in what they were talking about.

"Serious," she said. "If I should be honest, I don't think he will ever become like he used to be. Whatever You-Know-Who did, it was bad enough to almost completely destroy his mind."

As they went silent and thought of what could have happened, Harry grew agitated with their serious faces and the silence. He began squirming around and Draco patted his arm.

"Calm down, Harry, everything's okay," the blonde teen said.

Harry did not stop though. He continued until he almost fell off the bed.

"What are you doing, silly?" Draco asked as he managed to catch the wriggling raven-haired teen. A hint of a smile showed up at the blonde's face and Harry gave out a happy shout and pointed at his lips. The blonde blinked, as did the others. But then he said, "You want us to be happy?"

Another happy shout and a big grin came from Harry. He burrowed his head into Draco's chest and lay in the teen's arms happily as the four stared at each other and then him.

"Harry?" Draco asked. The teen peered up. "Harry, what happened to you was very serious. Do you understand that?"

The teen just continued to look at Draco for a long time until his brow furrowed and his eyes slide sideways as he thought. After a while Harry looked back at the blonde teen and did whatever he felt he could do; he shrugged. Draco stared at him.

"You feel it doesn't matter?" A nod. "You mean you don't care about being like this?" A hesitant nod. "But you will try your best to get better?" A third nod, firm this time. "Okay, good, that's all I needed to know," the blonde teen said. "I'm okay with you no matter who you are just so you know. You don't have to change just so I will like you more."

Harry looked at Draco for a long time and then petted the blonde hair for a bit.

"Are you even listening to me?" Draco sweat-dropped.

All he got in reply was a neutral gurgle.

Tbc…

* * *

How was that? If there are any questions about Harry's status, let me know so I can explain in the next chapter.

Chapter four: It's a daunting task, it's hard, and it's going to be frustrating… but someone has to do it. Do what? Teach Harry to walk of course! Who is willing to do that? Stay tuned!

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	4. Chapter 4

**Recovery of the Mind**

**Summary**: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Blood, violence, maybe some other things.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter.

Happens after Sirius dies.

-

**Chapter**** Four**

Draco looked at Ron and Hermione as they entered Harry's room, wondering why Severus had even let them into the potions master's quarters. Poppy had released Harry from the Infirmary, as there was too many students coming in and out (both for real reasons and for wanting to catch a glimpse of _the_ Harry Potter) and for the reason that Harry was healthy enough to live with the two Slytherins.

"What is it?" he asked with a sigh, Harry's head in his lap. The raven-haired teen had been up all night screaming himself raw due to nightmares, or maybe memories he was better without, and Severus had been with him so Draco could catch some sleep. Now Severus had been given a break and Draco had after an hour of hysterics and screams managed to calm Harry down long enough to take a nap. Of course the teen had been given a few drops of Dreamless sleep potion so he would sleep deeper.

"Just wanted to see how Harry was," Ron sneered.

"Will you give that up, and grow up for once?" Draco asked. "I'm not a copy of my father, may he rot in hell, and I'm not taking your friend away. I'm trying to help Harry!"

Ron was about to reply, when Hermione none too discreetly kicked him in the shin. Ron swore and hopped around while the girl came forward.

"Sorry about him," she said and sat down. "And sorry for my behaviour as well. We haven't really seen Harry like that, so… well, it's not really an excuse. How is he?"

"He's been having nightmares all night and morning," Draco said and rubbed his eyes. "I barely got any sleep and Severus has been up for two days."

"Two days?" she asked. "He ought to have a rest now."

"I tried, but he was behind with some potions he was going to make," the blonde said.

Hermione threw her hands up, got up and muttered:

"Boys!"

She stormed out of the room, Draco staring after her. Harry continued to sleep while Ron had stopped swearing. He looked after Hermione and said:

"Boy, I feel sorry for professor Snape."

"How so?" the blonde asked.

"When 'Mione got that look on her face, it ain't going to be pretty," Ron said. "I've been the victim of that look more than once, and Merlin did I run. Too bad she caught up with me. So Harry's been having nightmares?"

"Yeah."

"But he's better now?" Ron asked as he sat down on the bed carefully.

"A bit," Draco said, stroking away the hair from Harry's forehead.

"He… he told us you guys were great," the redhead said. "That you were like his family."

"He is my family too," the blonde murmured.

"I was acting up, bitching against him and all that stuff," Ron said. "Not very much of a friend am I?"

"You just had your opinions about us; I can't blame you for that."

"Did you always mean your comments about my family?" the redhead asked, genuinely curious. His hand was securely on Harry's waist, and Draco saw no danger in letting him do that.

"In the beginning," Draco said. "When I didn't know better. After the first year… not really. I should apologize to Miss Granger for calling her a Mudblood."

"She probably will say it's not a big deal anymore," Ron said. "I know your dad is an ass, but what about your mother?"

"She's different," Draco said. "She tried to help me. She sent me to Severus when she realized she had to flee England."

"Is she coming back now when Voldemort is gone?" Ron wondered.

"Not yet," the blonde replied and hushed Harry as the teen stirred with a whine. "She is coming after Christmas."

"But it's only October!" Ron exclaimed, albeit quietly.

"I can handle it," Draco said with a smile. "And she will probably have a lover when she gets back that she will be with most of the time. I don't mind; I got Severus and Harry. That's plenty for me."

In that moment Hermione returned with a big grin on her face. Ron groaned and said:

"'Mione, you didn't hex him did you? He's still a teacher!"

"Oh no, I didn't hex him… sort of," she said and her grin turned bigger if that was possible. Ron grew pale and said:

"Don't tell me you used 'it'!"

"Oh, you bet I used 'it'," she said. Draco looked between the two of them and then said:

"What's 'it'?"

Ron shuddered, and Hermione let out a cackle. Suddenly Draco had no wish to know what it was. Harry happily slept on.

-

"Is it safe to see what you did to Severus?" Draco asked the bushy-haired girl, raising an eyebrow. It had been thirty minutes and he was dying of curiosity.

"Oh, it was not that dangerous," she said and waved a hand dismissively. "It's just that Ron hates it, and therefore gets frightened every time I use it."

"What is 'it'?" the blonde wanted to know as he rose up to check up on Severus.

Hermione stroke Harry's hair and smiled. She then turned to Draco and said:

"It's a spell."

"What kind of spell?"

"Do-as-I-say-or-else spell."

"It changes depending on who it is," Ron offered. "'Mione never did it on Harry though."

"That's because he at least listened to me," the girl huffed. "You did not."

"It wasn't my fault!" Ron cried out, albeit lowly to not wake the raven-haired teen up.

"And you did that spell on Severus?" Draco asked with wide eyes.

"He never knew what hit him," the girl said dreamily, looking off into space. Ron shuddered and muttered:

"Totally crazy that girl…"

Draco swallowed before deciding not to have a look what the potions master was suffering. As he sat down again, Hermione absently patted his head and said 'Good boy' followed by Draco staring at Ron who only shrugged and said:

"She does that to me and Harry once in a while when she decides we aren't completely idiots."

-

Harry opened his eyes carefully, feeling it was someone else than Draco petting his hair. He looked up to see a girl with bushy hair talking to Draco. It was her small hand who patted his hair. It felt nice. She felt nice… but he recognized her. Maybe. He was not entirely sure.

He let out a yawn and the girl looked down.

"Good morning, Harry," she said with a smile.

How did she know his name? Did Draco tell her? And what was her name?

"I'm Hermione," she said, seeing his confused look. "Are you hungry? Draco said you hadn't eaten anything."

As on cue Harry's stomach rumbled and he had the grace to blush. He tried to say he was hungry, and as expected it came out as a gurgle. Draco saw the teen getting frustrated, as he had been a lot when he discovered he could not say the words he wanted, and moved over. He gently helped the raven-haired teen to sit up and moved an arm around him.

"It's okay," the blonde said. "You'll be able to speak soon, don't worry."

Harry nodded, knowing that Draco never lied to him. His stomach rumbled again and Hermione jumped up.

"I'll get some lunch for us all," she declared. "Ronald, help me."

"Didn't you just say you were going--?"

At her look, Ron paled and jumped up with a 'Yes, ma'am' before following her out of the door. Harry looked after them and then up at Draco. He chuckled at the teen and said:

"You know, Harry, they are totally okay. They are your friends."

Harry was silent for a while and the blonde assumed he had stopped listening again. But then he opened his mouth and said slowly:

"Friends?"

Draco stared at him, and said quietly:

"You spoke."

"Friends," Harry repeated. His eyes lightened in delight as he could say 'friends' without problems. "Friends, friends!"

"Yes, friends," Draco said with a smile. "The boy with red hair, that's Ron. The girl you know her name."

"Her… herm… mione?"

"Hermione. Try it."

"'Mione!"

"Noo, _Hermione_."

"'_Mione_!" Harry stubbornly insisted. Quite loudly. And in Draco's ear. The blonde teen tried to make the ringing stop and muttered:

"Well, I guess that's good enough…"

-

When Hermione and Ron came back, Draco smiled widely and said:

"Alright, Harry, who's coming in?"

"Ron 'nd 'Mione?"

Hermione nearly dropped the tray. Ron blinked and said uncertainly:

"He couldn't say our names before we left to get lunch."

"Well, he's a fast learner," Draco said. "Although I can't make him say Hermione. He likes 'Mione much more."

Hermione put the tray down and Harry grinned at her.

"'Mione!"

"He's been repeating your names a few times," the blonde said. "And likes to shout it in my ear, so I'm currently deaf on the left side."

Together they managed to get Harry eat a normal portion and even drink some pumpkin-juice. He was not fond of either drinking or eating so it was a hassle each time.

Draco knew Harry had enough when the teen began to move, turning his head into Draco's shoulder.

"It's enough," he said quietly to Hermione. "Harry can't speak when it's enough so he shows it instead."

"So what do you normally do after meals?" she asked as she continued to nip bits of some crisps.

"Either read for him, or trying to learn him something," Draco said. "Right now he's not up for either."

"How do you know that?" Ron asked as he looked at Harry for any signs.

"The way he hugs," Draco said. "He's in the perfect position for resting, so that's what he wants to do. If he wants to have me or Severus read a book, he usually tries to hit us with a book to notify us of this. If he wants to learn, he keeps bugging me until I get the point."

-

"He's getting restless, Sev."

"I know, but what can we do?" Severus asked, looking at Draco.

"Teach him perhaps how to walk," Draco said. "He's sick of being confined to the bed all the time."

"What, so he can run away without us?"

"No, so he can have more freedom. Would you like to be in a bed 24/7?"

Severus sighed, knowing Draco was right. He rubbed his forehead and said:

"I guess you're right. I just don't want him to walk around alone when he can hardly speak."

"He can say short sentences."

"That's not good enough. There are still people outside and Merlin also in Hogwarts willing to hurt him."

"He'll listen to us," the blonde said. "You know that. Please, he wants to. I can see it on him when I'm walking around, that he wants to be able to do that as well."

-

"Why did you end up having to teach Harry how to walk?" Hermione asked.

"Because Sev doesn't have time, you guys have things to do--"

"So have you."

"But I at least live with him. Plus you two are getting tighter aren't you?" He was talking about the girl and a certain redhead who was currently not with the bushy-haired girl.

Hermione blushed heavily and said:

"N-no we aren't!"

"Come on, even Harry sees it!"

"What?!" she shrieked, hiding her red cheeks as Draco laughed. "No, no, no!"

"Anyway," the blonde said, shaking his head, "Harry wants to walk and I'm gonna teach him no matter what."

-

"Ow! Harry, not now! I'm doing my homework."

"Walk!"

"I know you want to, but I said after dinner!"

"Now!"

"No!"

"Walk!"

"No!"

"Having troubles?"

Draco growled at his terrible amused godfather and then tried to continue with his work. Harry was getting ready to throw a new book in frustration when Severus sat down and took it away.

"Draco needs to focus, Harry," the man said gently. "Come on, you can sit in the living room with me until dinner. Then Draco will be with you the whole night and you can torment him whenever you want to."

Harry seemed happy about that and Draco groaned. The potions master lifted the teen up and carried him to the living room, Harry happily grinning.

Severus put him down on the couch and winced a bit as Harry hardly could stay up even in a sitting position. They had neglected his body's functions a lot, and it was good Draco had decided to start it all. Harry could not sit very well without some kind of support; it was only his arms that had regained strength. He had no idea even how to crawl because he had no instincts for that.

It ended up with Harry half-lying in the man's lap while Severus read up a text for him. You might think Harry wanted to hear a child story but no; he could easily follow with a potions text or defence theory which might suggest Harry knew more than he could express.

This text was about defence, as Harry had liked DADA the most before. Severus read for ten minutes before he discovered Harry had fallen asleep on him. He carefully put down the text onto the table in front of him and cradled the back of the teen's head in his hand, rubbing softly. He let time go by as he watched Harry sleep.

-

"Sev?"

"Hmm?"

"It's dinnertime, and you've done nothing in three hours."

"That's okay," Severus said as he gently removed his hand from Harry's head. "Sometimes it's good to just sit and think."

"Or let your brain rot," Draco observed.

"Draco!"

-

Harry was almost crying in frustration. No matter what Draco did the teen had not managed to stand up. Now he was sitting on the floor, tears glimmering in the corners of his eyes. Draco saw this and thought frantically of any other methods he could use. He searched his mind for any, and finally came up with something that might work. He only needed to convince Harry of it.

"Okay, Harry. We're going to try something else," he said, crouching down before the raven-haired teen. "Put your arms around my neck, like a hug."

Harry did so, sniffing quietly. Draco's arms encircled his waist and the blonde rose up. Harry made a noise of protest as he was forced to stand if he did not want Draco over himself on the floor. His legs were shaking and he was leaning most of his weight on Draco, terrified to let go of the blonde teen.

Draco's hands were resting comfortably on his waist, letting him know the teen was not going to let him fall. Slowly Harry got used to the thought of standing and planted his feet more strongly to the floor.

"This was so much better," Draco murmured into Harry's hair. "This was a better tactic, right?"

Harry nodded, daring to let go of the teen a bit.

"Don't strain yourself," the blonde said. "We'll take it slow and easy just to be sure."

When Severus entered fifteen minutes later, he stopped to watch the scene.

Harry was unstable on his weak legs but he was standing almost on his own, only one of Draco's hands on his waist. The blonde teen let him place an arm around the neck after a few moments as Harry could not handle standing without support for long.

"I see we are making some progress," the potions master said as he walked into the room, notifying the two he was there.

"Sev!"

"Harry!"

Draco caught the excited teen and Severus smiled as he closed in; Harry had apparently forgotten he could not really walk but had started to do so anyway.

"Seems like he has some instincts," Severus said to Draco as he let Harry hug him tightly.

"If we just train his muscles, he should be walking in no time," Draco said. "Right, Harry?"

"Right!"

"You didn't even listen to what I said, right?"

"No!"

"Don't sound so happy about it…"

Tbc…

* * *

Sorry for the late update, seems I have to say sorry for the lateness of all my stories -sweat drop-

Chapter five: Harry has now learned to walk and walks off on his own. What will happen?

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	5. Chapter 5

**Recovery of the Mind**

**Summary**: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Blood, violence, maybe some other things.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter.

Happens after Sirius dies.

-

**Chapter**** Five**

Harry opened his eyes and sat up. He was in a room looking a lot like the one his mind had created before he killed Voldemort. He now remembered everything, even his memories after the death of Voldemort.

"How come I can't remember Hermione and Ron when I'm really awake?" he wondered out loud.

"_Because you aren't ready to process that in real life."_

"Who are you now again?"

"_I'm you, Harry. Don't worry; you aren't going crazy. I'm just the part of you that heals you. When you have recovered we will be one again."_

"So you are the one preventing me from remembering?"

"_In a way, yes,"_ other Harry confessed.

"Where are you?"

"_Wouldn't it be strange to be watching a copy of yourself_?"

"I've seen a lot of strange things in my life already; I don't think this one will be any worse."

"_I guess that's true."_

Immediately a version of himself showed up and stretched out a hand. Harry took it and was helped up on his feet.

"Why aren't I ready to see what happened?"

"_Because you want to forget. You want to be something you have always been denied; you want to be loved."_

"That the only reason?" the teen asked the copy of himself.

"_Not exactly. Voldemort managed to rip your mind up rather well__ although I kept the pain away from you at the time,"_ the other replied. _"I just don't want you to view your memories, where Voldemort always are in a way, while trying to recover your mind. This room is where I have stashed all of your memories; everywhere else in your mind you are that child."_

"For how long will I be that child?"

"_Forever perhaps, if that is what you want in the end. Now, you are supposed to be asleep. I don't want to keep you from sleeping, so go back."_

Harry had questions. He wanted answers. He wanted them now. But the other Harry put a hand against his lips, gently, stopping any words Harry might say, then smiled and everything went dark.

-

Draco woke up when Harry gave out a quiet sob. He rolled over so he could face the teen and saw said teen awake, tears glimmering at the corners of his eyes.

"Hi," the blonde said sleepily, rubbing his eyes a bit to wake up. Lucky him it was Saturday the next day, so he and Harry could have a sleep-in.

"Sorry," Harry sniffed out. "Woke you up…"

"It's okay. You had a bad dream?"

Harry nodded.

"What was it about?" Draco was very grateful that Harry could speak rather well now, so well he could speak out what his nightmares were about. Most of the time it was old memories from his childhood and it was then easy to reassure Harry it would never happen again. But this time it felt like it was going to be different.

"Room," the raven-haired teen said. "Me was there."

Draco did not correct Harry as it was late at night and both of them were tired.

"And another me," the teen continued. "We spoke, but me don't remember… of what… then it was all black an' me couldn't see anythin'…"

"But it's okay now," Draco said. "You can see me, right?"

"Uh-hu."

"Then it's okay," the blonde said. "Come on, you need to sleep some more."

Harry willingly crept into Draco's inviting arms and quickly fell asleep.

-

Severus stroke first Harry's hair and then Draco's. Both of them stirred but did not wake up. He glanced at the time and figured since it was only seven-thirty in the morning he could let them sleep some more. He spread the covers around them again and watched as Harry snuggled into the blonde's chest with a low sigh. They had probably been up late, and Harry had had a nightmare a bit later. That was not unusual however much Severus wished Harry's sleep to be uninterrupted.

He closed the door gently, not wanting to wake them up.

-

"So they are still asleep?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Severus replied and looked at the time. "I was in seven-thirty and then they were asleep."

It was now eight-thirty and the girl had been up for hours. She could not hold it any longer and had gone to the dungeons. However, she would wait as long as she needed for Harry to wake up.

As if answering her small plea, the door opened and Draco stepped out, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Harry still out?" the potions master said.

The moment after, Harry tackled the blonde to the ground, Draco managing a yelp before he went down. Severus and Hermione both got up and helped them up. Harry giggled and Draco whined out:

"How come I never notice him when he's about to jump me?!"

Harry ignored the blonde as he tightly hugged Hermione. The girl laughed and said:

"You sure like to do sneak-attacks, Harry! You are really good at it as well."

"Alright, you two, go and clean up before breakfast," Severus said. "I and Miss Granger will wait for you."

Harry ran beforehand, making Draco shriek and run after him. The raven-haired teen was still a bit unsteady on his feet and could loose his balance easily. Hence why the blonde was scared shitless.

"Well… Draco is rather protective," Hermione said as she looked after the two.

"Protective? Try murderous. Anyone who looks at Harry wrong he will try to kill," Severus muttered.

The girl laughed.

-

Hermione watched Harry take small hesitating bites of his toast, noticing Draco was doing his best to let Harry eat on his own.

"I take it he's still not eating much?" she said quietly to the two Slytherins.

"Correct," Severus said. "He's not interested in food. He just wants to be around us."

"But you often manage him to eat," the girl said to the blonde.

"Yeah, but that's because he knows I'm happy if he eats," Draco said. "I think we have to continue with that for a little while longer. Last time I let him eat on his own, he collapsed due to have eaten nothing during a whole day."

Harry perked up when Draco called his name, and scooted closer to the blonde. Draco leaned in, like he was going to say a secret and spoke in low, soft tones at the teen. Harry frowned but then nodded, and stretched after the glass of juice. He gulped it down to the three's satisfaction and nibbled down the rest of the toast.

"You aren't that hungry right now?" Draco asked.

"No," Harry confirmed.

"He's usually not that hungry during the morning hours," Hermione said to them.

"Yeah, probably why he's having trouble with breakfast most of all," the blonde said. "Harry, I have a deal for you."

"Yeah! What?"

"I will read the defence paper Ron gave you a few days ago if you promise to eat a snack before lunch."

"Yeah!" Why should he disagree? A snack was not so bad, and he really wanted to hear what Ron had given him. Even though he could speak and walk, he was having major problems with writing and reading.

"Great," Draco said. "Just finish the last piece, okay?"

"Yeah!"

"Does he always want to shout yes?" Hermione asked.

"Don't forget 'no' as well," Draco said. "And he has an urge to scream it in my ear."

Harry had by now finished and slowly crept from the chair to the floor.

"Where are you going?" Severus asked teen.

"… From th' table?"

"And what do you say before you do?"

"Can me go from th' table?"

"Of course you can," the potions master said and Harry curled down in front of a photo album Draco had made for him. When Hermione looked at the two in a way they knew the blonde offered the explanation:

"He doesn't agree he should say 'I' instead of 'me' but we're getting there."

"'Mione!"

Hermione turned to look at Harry who held up the photo album for her to see. She cleaned her hands on the napkin, thanked for the breakfast and then slid down on the floor next to her friend.

"Oh my, this was a very nice album," she said. "Did Draco give it to you?"

"Yeah," Harry said excitedly although not shouting. Draco groaned and said:

"How come he only shouts in my ears?!"

"Because he knows you," Hermione said. "You like it that he pays special attention to him as well."

The blonde looked at her strangely as the two Gryffindors began looking through the album but Severus said:

"Don't try to deny it. You do like it."

"Damn… she catches on quickly."

"Women are like that."

"Bad experience with women or what?"

"Somehow Poppy always knows when I have an injury I'm reluctant to tell about," the potions master grumbled and Draco could not help but laugh.

-

Harry rocked back and forth on the couch, feeling bored. Draco had a class and Severus was teaching a class. They had begun going back to classes when Harry got better without letting Harry sleep during that time, but they also had little alternatives for what Harry could do.

The teen stood up and walked around the room. He was bored, and when he was bored he wanted something to do. He did not try train on reading, because he had tried and it had only made him cry in frustration. He was not trying again without Draco, Hermione, Ron or Severus. Last time it had been Severus who found him and Harry had cried so hard he had slept for a good ten hours, freaking everyone out.

So… no reading while alone. But he still wanted something to do, he was extremely bored. Harry walked over to the door, and tried it. Anytime else when he had tried it had been locked.

But now… it opened with a small click. Harry stared at it like in a trance before pushing the door open. He peeked out. Severus and Draco had never really said he should stay in the rooms, he was bored and he wanted to have just a little look where he was living… he knew it was in a school but he wanted to see more.

He stepped outside.

-

Theodore Nott growled as he moved along the corridors. He had skipped class, now working to get out of there. Everything had went downhill ever since that blasted Potter managed to kill the Dark Lord, and now no one could kill Potter. He was too well protected for anyone to try. Ridiculous!

Well, if no one dared Theodore had to do it himself. But he needed time, hence the reason he was leaving Hogwarts.

While he was walking he did not notice the person until they bumped into each other. Both of them fell down, Theodore with a surprised grunt and the other with a startled yelp. Theodore looked up and met large green eyes. Potter. Potter with no wand or memory. A _weak_ Potter.

Theodore grinned and raised his wand, Harry looking fearfully at him.

-

Alastor Moody grumbled as he moved along the hall, wondering why Albus needed a talk with him. He had been interrupted in a nice nap, and was not in the mood to talk with the overly-happy old headmaster.

A shout disturbed his thoughts. But not any normal shout. His eye widened.

"_Crucio_!"

-

Harry felt pain, burning pain and then heard a buzzing in his ears. He closed his eyes to blissful darkness.

"_Harry… it's okay."_

"Who are you?" he asked into the darkness.

"_Harry, it's me."_

The teen looked around the room and saw a shape come forth.

"Remus?" he asked.

"_Hi,"_ the man said and kneeled down. _"I'm sorry I haven't been to you, Albus said you were badly injured."_

"I'm okay!" Harry said.

"_He said about a brain-damage,"_ Remus said, concerned. _"You sure?"_

"Yeah… well, I'm not really okay but I'm getting better," Harry said, now forgetting about the pain and the outside world. "Can't you come and visit me?"

"_You want me to?"_

"Yeah, of course I want it!"

Remus smiled and said:

"_Then you have to wake up."_

-

Harry screamed when the curse hit him again, trashing on the floor as his nerves burned. Theodore smiled maliciously; he was going to kill Potter right now. He fuelled the curse with his hate, Potter had killed his father and now he was getting his revenge.

As blood began to dribble from Harry's mouth Moody came around the corner, shooting off a Stunner that made Theodore fly. The ex-Auror limped as fast as he could to Harry and turned the teen to his back. The body was twitching and wide terrified eyes looked at Moody.

"It's okay," Moody tried to reassure. He heard someone running and screamed out, "I need madam Pomfrey now!"

-

Severus always told the students to never run through the corridors but he found himself failing his own warning as he rounded a corner towards the Infirmary. Weasley and Granger, both had been in his class when he was informed, came running after him. Draco was not in any classes that had Slytherins therefore he had been with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs on Transfiguration.

As they closed into the Infirmary said blonde joined them and easily ran past all three of them. He got to the Healing Wing and opened the doors. They all heard Harry screaming.

Poppy was trying to hold the teen down but he trashed against her, screaming out for Draco and Severus. The blonde Slytherin did not hesitate, and in a moment he was by the teen's side, accepting the teen's desperate hug. Only then Harry went silent, his eyes wide and tear tracks down his cheeks.

"What happened?" Severus demanded to know even as came to Harry's side. Hermione and Ron waited for an answer as well.

"Alastor caught Theodore Nott casting a Crucio on Harry," Poppy said. "Alastor stunned Theodore and sent a student to get me. We got him here but he didn't stop screaming for you two, so I sent word to get you."

Draco managed to calm Harry down to the degree the teen dared to let go of the blonde.

"I'm not going anywhere," Draco promised, sitting down on the bed. "Okay? How in the name of Merlin did you get out?"

"The door… was open," Harry sobbed. "Sorry."

"Hey, you got nothing to be sorry about," the blonde soothed. He turned to Poppy and said, "Did the curse do any damage?"

"He will feel weak for a few days, but otherwise he's fine. I expected a lot worse, but he only bit his tongue hence the blood."

Harry was making a low whining noise at the back of his throat and Draco resumed his petting of Harry's hair. The teen stopped whining and relaxed into the bed.

"Where is Nott now?" Severus asked, barely containing his anger.

"He's already in one of the Ministry's holding cells," Poppy said. "Alastor and Albus are there as well, and they will make sure he is sentenced."

"Knowing Fudge he will demand an interview with Harry," the potions master sneered.

"He already tried with Albus, saying he needed to know what happened," Poppy said. "Alastor stepped in and said he saw what happened, plus they would have Theodore spilling the truth so there was no need for Harry's word."

Severus sighed in relief.

"Do you think you can keep yourself inside the quarters now?" Draco asked. Harry nodded. "Good. We don't want that to happen again."

"But… I wanna see…"

"Did you just say 'I' instead of 'me'?"

Harry nodded.

"I think you're making some progress," the blonde said as he eased down next to the teen. Harry wriggled around so that Draco could lie down comfortably. The raven-haired teen looked around for a bit and then frowned. "What's wrong Harry?"

"Where's he?"

"He who?" Severus asked.

"He," Harry said, as if that would explain everything.

"Harry," Draco said. "We don't know who you are talking about."

"Moony! He promised to come if I woke up! I woke up, I'm fine!"

"Moony?" Draco asked.

"Are you talking about Remus, Harry?" Hermione asked gently.

"Yeah! Moony!"

"Moony is Remus' nickname," the girl supplied to the blonde. "He hasn't been here, right?"

"Only once, when Harry was still in a coma," Severus said.

"I wanna see Moony!"

"Well, there is no other way, right?" Severus said and looked at Minerva.

"I'll see if I can get in contact with him," the witch said and swept out from the room.

"Harry, why don't you lie down and rest for a bit," Draco suggested. "I'm sure Moony will do anything he can to get here."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter five done.

Chapter six: Remus comes to Hogwarts, Harry faces Fudge…

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	6. Chapter 6

**Recovery of the Mind**

**Summary**: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Blood, violence, maybe some other things.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter.

Happens after Sirius dies.

-

**Chapter**** Six**

Harry squirmed around in the bed, twisting between the sheets with a whine.

"Harry, you have to sleep," Draco said and placed a hand on the teen's covered leg.

"Don wanna!"

"Yes, you want to," the blonde tried with.

"Don wanna!"

"Merlin are you stubborn," Draco muttered. "Just for a little bit, okay? You will feel better."

"I'm fine!"

"Harry I know you think you feel fine but you aren't fine. Please, just go to sleep for a little while."

"Why?"

"Because it will do you good," Draco said. "I promise to wake you if Remus comes."

"Really promise?"

"Really."

-

Remus Lupin came walking into the castle, looking around a bit before setting his pace to the Infirmary. Harry had asked for him. Harry was not supposed to know about him, yet asked for him all of a sudden. Not that Remus complained; if Harry wanted him here, he would come running.

He stepped through the familiar halls of Hogwarts and came to the doors that would lead him to Harry. Without hesitation he stepped through.

He smiled a bit as Draco looked up at him and then looked at the sleeping Harry. Without a word to Remus the blonde got up from his chair, closed the book he had been reading before putting it away and then leaned over the raven-haired teen.

"Sleeping beauty, wake up," Draco said and tapped Harry on the shoulder. Said teen whined and burrowed his head into the pillow. "Now, now, wasn't it you who wanted to see Moony?"

"Moony!"

At once Harry was awake and half-way off the bed before Draco caught him and hauled him back.

"Moony!" Harry shouted, his arms stretching out. Remus smiled broadly and walked forward. He hugged the teen tightly and said:

"How are you doing, Harry?"

"I'm fine!"

Remus reacted a bit to the loud voice and saw Draco wince in sympathy. The man shrugged it off and put his hands on Harry's shoulders to look at him.

"They said you were attacked," Remus said. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah!"

"Harry, you really don't have to shout," the blonde said with a sigh. "Although I know you love to do it when it comes to me."

"Dray!"

"Not that name again! Draco, Harry, D-r-a-c-o!"

"Dray!"

"I give up," Draco moaned and fell down onto the chair. "There is no use in arguing with you, Harry."

"Exactly!"

"Don't agree with me!"

Remus laughed at the two.

-

"I'm glad Harry has you two," the werewolf said.

"Huh?" Draco was not certain he had heard right.

"You and Severus. It's good he's got you two now."

"He's got you as well," the blonde pointed out.

"Yes, I know but… he really wanted a family. How can a grumpy werewolf be that?" Remus said with a small smile, it getting broader as Ron tried to make Harry drink some water. The redheaded teen and Hermione had come in not too long ago and offered to help Harry eat his lunch. They had a bit of trouble but did not seem to be discouraged because of it.

Draco did not say anything but continued to watch the werewolf. He looked tired, almost old… older than Severus despite they were the same age. Draco turned his head when the doors opened and Severus entered.

"Hi Sev," he said and Remus turned his head to watch the potions master.

"Draco, Lupin," he acknowledged. "I see Mr Weasley and Miss Granger are having fun."

"Yeah, feeding Harry is the most challenging thing of the year," Draco muttered. "I'll be lucky if I can get a third of the food in him."

"I can manage half of a portion," Severus said and conjured a chair next to the blonde. "I think I will have a chat with Harry after he's done throwing food around him."

"Oh, he is indeed throwing food," Remus remarked. "Can't be very nice getting those chicken-legs in your face… ouch." Ron was hit by one. Hermione resisted a giggle while the three watchers chuckled. Harry just grinned.

-

The teen had been left alone for a little while, as Draco, Hermione and Ron had schoolwork that required them to be in the library and the two adults speaking to Dumbledore. Poppy was gathering herbs along with professor Sprout.

They had managed to get Harry to promise he would not go anywhere, and he was happy enough to draw with the muggle material Hermione had gotten from her parents when she owled them about it.

The door suddenly opened and the teen looked up.

"Hello Mr Potter," Cornelius Fudge said with a smile. "I was hoping to catch a bit of conversation with you before Albus came and interrupted us."

Harry shrank back in the bed, especially as the man locked the door.

"No need to be frightened," Cornelius said. "I just want to talk with you for a bit about what happened to You-Know-Who."

"Who's that?" Harry asked, sitting as far away he could when the minister sat down.

"Oh, don't fool me with that same nonsense Albus has been saying," Fudge snarled. "He keeps telling me you are injured and should not be disturbed until you yourself choose to. Ridiculous, isn't it?"

"I don't know you…"

"Enough! Harry, tell me what you did to the Dark Lord; you will be even more famous! I can have it arranged to have someone to take our picture right now---"

"What? I don't know you!"

"Stop it now, Mr Potter, and tell me!" The man was getting red in his face. "You can have anything you want yet you sit here, closed in the castle because of some nonsense Albus had cooked together! Now, you can come with me, I can have a room arranged at the Leaky Cauldron for you and a reporter within the hour!"

"Go away!" Harry wailed and scrambled off the bed. He skidded across the floor as Fudge advanced on him. "Sev! Draco! Moony!"

"Shut up, boy, and tell me!" the minster screamed, losing it. If he had the Boy-Who-Lived, the Hero of the Wizarding World on his side he would win the election and continuing being the Minister of Magic in England. He had to have the boy on his side!

Harry felt something surge up, something big, someone who was not him yet it was still around him. He touched the walls and they warmed underneath his palms, comforting.

"Help me," he whispered as Fudge had almost reached him. "Someone, help me."

Hogwarts surged, and acted.

-

Severus came to the Infirmary and tried to open the doors. They were locked but Remus was there, unlocking them with a swift movement of his wand before the potions master even had a chance to get his own out. They swung open and the whole group rushed inside.

Fudge lay on the floor, unconscious. Harry's bright eyes looked at them and he got up. He ran past the minister's still body and fell right into Severus' arms. The man dragged Harry up, cradled him, and said to the headmaster:

"I'll take him to his room."

"Do so," Albus said. "I will take care of Fudge."

"Sev!"

Draco, Hermione and Ron came running, looking out of breath.

"Is Harry okay?"

"How did you know something happened?"

"A castle doesn't get angry for nothing," Hermione said.

"What?" both Remus and Severus asked, shocked.

"During the years, I noticed that Hogwarts sometimes responds to certain actions," the girl said and looked at them. "Especially to Harry. When I felt the surge, I knew something had happened. I knew Hogwarts must have protected Harry."

"Hogwarts good," the teen said and peered at Hermione. "Threw the man away."

"Yeah," the girl said and smiled at him. "You got a good friend in Hogwarts, Harry."

"Then why didn't the castle respond when Harry was taken?" Severus questioned.

"Maybe it tried," the girl said. "You of all people should know that sometimes you don't succeed with what you wanted to."

"This isn't about grades," the man said. "Or a potion, or a spell, or whatever, it was about Harry's life."

"Yet it still comes down to that single action of something you want to achieve, and sometimes you just don't."

-

Harry seemed to have forgotten all about Fudge around an hour later when he was busy watching Ron create bubbles from his wands, bubbles of all colours and sizes. The teen tried to catch some of them from his spot on the bed, amused by them.

It made Draco and Severus happy to watch that Harry was all happy now again, and secretly pleased the Minister would surely loose his post now after having done that to _the_ Harry Potter. It was students in the school that was screaming for the man's blood already; news travelled quickly that the Minister had tried to hurt Harry.

"He should rest now," the potions master said and looked at the teens surrounding Harry. "He may not look like it but I dare say he's a bit sleepy."

Harry looked at them all and they noticed he did look a bit tired. Ron created one last bubble that he floated over to Harry, allowing the teen to take it. He had made it stronger so it would not burst. Harry held it gently even as Draco began moving back the covers of the bed. After a minute or two he was being gently pushed down and only then did he let it go. Ron floated it up and made it burst in Draco's face.

"Hey!"

Harry laughed.

Tbc…

* * *

Short chapter, but I guess that's okay.

Chapter seven: To make up for not being able to protect Harry before, Hogwarts decides to help him in his recovery…

Until later,

Ja.

Tiro


	7. Chapter 7

**Recovery of the Mind**

**Summary**: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Blood, violence, maybe some other things.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter.

Happens after Sirius dies.

-

**Chapter**** Seven**

Harry felt safer than ever as he looked around the room. The walls, the roof, even the floor was comforting him, sending gentle waves of magic on him, making him drowsy. He snuggled down into the bed, lulled to sleep by the comforting waves of the old castle's powerful magic. And then he dreamed under the influence of the ancient magic, willing his dreams to a certain memory.

-

Harry had never had many toys during his childhood. He was not worthy of them, according to the Dursleys, or at least according to Vernon.

That was why he remembered the day when Petunia had come home from the store with a teddy bear on one of the bags. She had told him to help her unpack. Vernon had been at work and Dudley at a friend. Harry had helped, knowing better than to argue. He had been six at the time.

When he came to the teddy bear he stared at it before turning around and asking Petunia if he should go and place it at Dudley's bed. She had looked at him and walked over. He had watched her neatly take away the price tag but his eyes had become saucers when she pressed the teddy bear into his arms and telling him to never show it to Vernon or Dudley.

Ironically, he named it Snuffles.

Snuffles had become a friend of sorts, and even as he moved into Dudley's second bedroom Harry had brought the teddy bear with him. He had felt stupid but he had brought it to Hogwarts as well, and during nightmares he had gotten Snuffles up from the trunk and held it tightly in his arms.

During all these years, it had never gotten really worn down to the brink he finally had to throw it away. Later Harry came to the conclusion his desire to keep it had impacted on his magic; maybe giving it some endurance because he had sure held Snuffles a lot. He remembered every detail of the teddy bear, and how much it had comforted him as tears had dried on his cheeks.

He woke up.

-

Draco and Severus woke up to hear a small thud in Harry's room, not enough to be Harry falling off but rather a book being thrown. They came out in the hall and looked at each other sleepily. Then they pushed the door to the teen's room open.

Harry was frantically searching through his trunk, throwing everything around himself in his search. Severus avoided a book as Draco caught a jumper before it could hit him in the face.

"Harry, what are you doing?" the potions master asked.

"Where is it?!"

The desperate tone in Harry's voice made them realize he was soon to have a panic-attack if they did not help him.

"Where is what?" Draco asked as he managed to get down on his knees next to Harry without being the target of a stray book.

"Snuffles, I have to find Snuffles!"

"Snuffles? Isn't that…?" Draco glanced over at Severus who nodded. The nickname Sirius had been given in his dog-form. "Harry, are you talking about Sirius?"

"No, Snuffles! Have to find him!"

The teen stilled suddenly and dragged forth something underneath a shirt. He threw the shirt away and hugged the item tightly to his chest, his whole body sagging in relief.

"A teddy bear?" Draco questioned. "Harry… do you remember how long you have had that bear?"

"A long, long time," Harry replied.

"Did you know someone with the name of Sirius when you named that teddy bear?"

"No… she, the lady, gave it to me, told me not to tell the fat man."

"Petunia," Severus supplied gently to the blonde teen. "Harry, do you think you can go to sleep now?"

Harry nodded and was helped to his feet, Snuffles still tightly pressed to his chest. It was a bit of a comic sight, but at least the teen was calm. Severus waved his hand and the trunk began to pack itself again as Harry crept into the bed. He was out as a light a minute later.

"Sev…"

"I know."

"It's coming magic from that thing."

"It's not a thing, it's a teddy bear. And it's Harry's magic."

"But why is it there from the start?"

"How should I know?" Severus asked. "All we know it isn't hurting Harry, and right now that's the main thing."

-

Hermione looked at the teddy bear Harry had nearly shoved into her face and said:

"It's really pretty, Harry. You named it Snuffles, right?"

"Yeah."

"So Snuffles has been your friend for quite some time?"

"Yeah, a real long time," the teen said and hugged the teddy bear to his chest. He was not keen to let it out of his sight, and the two Slytherins did not complain. The teddy bear helped him to calm down easier.

They were still a bit worried about the amount of magic it leaked, but Harry did not seem to notice.

-

The first time Petunia ever smiled at him he had been eight years old. Harry's memory about the whole thing was a bit fuzzy, but he was certain it was something about him polishing the silverware while she was out shopping. She had been really stressed, as they expected guests (Harry was supposed to be in the cupboard as usual, quiet as a mouse or otherwise he would end up as a mouse's food). She had not had time to polish the silverware, and while she was gone shopping for the night Harry had done it for her.

The face she had as she came in, tired and nervous, to see Harry finish up the last of it had been imprinted in his mind forever. Surprise, happiness… _proud_. She had been proud of him. She had patted his head, smiled at him and told him what a good boy he had been.

He had clung onto that memory as a starved child. While Vernon was never pleased with him, and Dudley just loved to taunt him, Petunia occasionally showed that she actually cared… at least a little bit.

The teddy bear. Her smile. One time, when he was nine, they had been shopping and she had allowed him candy, as long as he ate it up before they came home.

The most surprising though had been the letter he got when he was fourteen at Christmas. She had written it alone, her husband and son did not know. The letter had been well-read; Harry had read it every time he felt down.

In that letter, Petunia had told him about his mother, and what she knew about James, about his father. It was a gesture of some kind, but Harry had not figured out what kind of gesture yet. She still was not nice to him, but she had stopped looking at him as if he was trash. He liked to think it pained her to do so.

-

When the two Slytherins were woken up this time with noise from Harry's room, they were up within a moment. As they opened the door to Harry's room, they stopped in surprise.

The thud had been the trunk's lid falling to the floor, but Harry had not thrown around things in frenzy this time. Instead he sat in front of the trunk, legs sprawled on his sides, Snuffles in his lap and a worn letter cradled in his hands. The emerald eyes scanned the letter, expression calm.

"Harry?" Severus asked as he knelt down. "Who is the letter from?"

"From the lady," Harry replied. "She gave me Snuffles… she wrote this letter to me."

"I had the expression Petunia was not too fond of you," the potions master said carefully.

"Maybe she wasn't," Harry said, his voice no longer child-like. It was his normal voice.

"Harry?" they both said in shock.

Emerald eyes looked up and Harry said:

"Huh?"

The voice was gone, but he had been there. The real Harry had been there.

-

Over the next few days, Harry's behaviour continued to puzzle everyone. Every night he was found sitting by his trunk, searching through it for things Draco and Severus had no idea about. He never said what he was searching for.

Snuffles was a constant companion when he was in the potions master's quarters, and the letter from Petunia was placed on the night-stand. And while he was surrounded by his friends almost every day, he seemed to be lost in thoughts a lot.

"He's scaring me a bit," Draco confessed to the two Gryffindors one night as they watched Harry stare into the fire in the living room.

"He's not scaring me," Ron said. "He's acting like… right after Sirius had died."

"Yeah," Hermione said. "He was always so quiet and stared off in space for hours. Nothing we did cheered him up."

"Do you think… he's going to return to his normal self?" Draco asked. "Sometimes, when he speaks… it's like speaking with Harry who hadn't his mind cursed to bits by Voldemort."

"Maybe," the girl said. Harry noticed they were staring and turned his head. He got up and walked to them, Snuffles held loosely in his crossed arms.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked.

"I'm tired," the teen said and looked at them.

Draco frowned; that was also one of the things that had started to happen. Harry had started to sleep a lot more, and had not much energy once he was awake.

"You really sure? You slept really long into the morning today," the blonde said as he stood up. "And you've barely eaten anything."

"I know," Harry said. "I'm still tired."

"Alright, come on."

Harry let himself be tugged to his bedroom and took off his shoes before falling down on the bed. Draco looked at him as the emerald eyes drowsily closed and a few minutes later the raven-haired teen was soundly asleep.

"He really falls asleep fast," Draco said as he walked back to where Hermione and Ron sat, their hands clasped together. While Hermione's cheeks did not get red anymore, she still would blush when Draco dropped a drawling comment with a smirk. Now though, he had not done it for a while.

"Most of the time he does that," Ron said. "You know, back in the past. He could pass out as a light, like he had been up for days."

Draco looked at the closed door. He wanted to know what was going on.

-

Before the blood wards had failed to protect Harry, he had gotten drunk once along with Dudley. The two had been left at home while the two adults had gone for a dinner, and Dudley had not felt like going over to any friend.

Harry had been in his room, staring at a picture he had of Sirius, the teddy bear Snuffles not far from his reach yet still hidden.

He had not objected when Dudley came in and asked if he wanted a drink. He wanted to forget the pain in his chest so badly he would do almost anything. He wanted to forget his godfather was dead. A man he in his mind had thought of as a father.

It had been some whiskey Dudley had snuck out from the bar in the living room. Vernon had never noticed. Between the two, the whiskey had slowly been consumed, and after a while Harry had asked why Dudley was drinking. The teen had answered with a shrug and:

"I've been drinking since I was thirteen."

Huh. That had surprised Harry. He had never seen the big teen drunk. Dudley had hit him over the head, just a small touch, and told him with a grin he would never drink when he knew someone would see him. In response, he had asked Harry why the raven-haired teen had agreed. Harry had just answered he wanted to forget.

"Well, bottom up then," Dudley had replied.

The killer headache the next day had been less than pleasant but he had spent a night forgetting all about Sirius. He had spent it in a haze, not protesting when Dudley almost dragged him back to his room and settled him down on the bed.

He had wished as he had stolen a few painkillers from his aunt that oblivion did not have to hurt so much.

-

Ron and Hermione jumped at the sound of a thud and Draco frowned.

"That's weird, he doesn't do that during the day," the teen said.

"Do what?"

"He's making a mess of his trunk every night, but he's never done it during the day," the blonde said and rose up. "I'm going to check what he's doing."

The two Gryffindors followed him. He opened the door and the three peeked inside.

Harry stared at a photo.

"Harry?" Draco asked and those wide eyes turned to him. "What are you looking at?"

"Sirius!"

He showed them the picture, and Sirius waved at them with his usual silly grin.

"Alright…" Draco said and stepped inside. "Harry, can I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

"Okay… do you dream about these things, and then have to go and find them?" he asked. Harry cocked his head, confused. "You were frantic trying to find Snuffles, and it was sudden. Did you have a dream about it?"

Harry thought for a little while.

"Yeah… I dreamt about when the lady gave me Snuffles…"

"So the letter the leady wrote to you?"

"I dreamt that too."

"And this photo?"

"I was lookin' at it," the raven-haired teen replied. It was the only picture of Sirius after he had escaped from Azkaban. "I miss him."

"Do you remember who it is?" Hermione asked.

"It's Sirius," Harry stated. "Sirius is Sirius. Sirius… Padfoot."

His head hurt. Hogwarts soothed him, told him it would all be alright. What would be alright? His thoughts were in a mess, he had no idea what was going on. What was going on? Everything felt too far away as he stared at Sirius' picture.

A moment later his vision failed.

_Hi, Harry. It's me again. __Just let it all happen._

Was he going to be okay? He could not see anything, he could not hear his friends' yells as he slowly fell to his side, he could not feel the impact his body made with the ground.

His head really hurt.

Tbc…

* * *

We're beginning to near the end. Next chapter is second to last.

Chapter eight: What did happen to Harry? Is he going to completely heal, or is he going to remain as he is, or even worse… is he going to die?

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	8. Chapter 8

**Recovery of the Mind**

**Summary**: Spending a summer with two Slytherins weren't so bad. But how will those two Slytherins react when their former master, before dying, leaves their anchor Harry Potter in a shape no one could imagine? And how will they heal him? Non-slash.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Blood, violence, maybe some other things.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter.

Happens after Sirius dies.

-

Very sorry for the late wait.

Last chapter! Enjoy it fully!

-

**Chapter**** Eight**

Harry woke up in the room again.

"What happened?" he asked.

_I'm not too sure myself. But Voldemort must have done something additional to half destroying your mind, as you aren't as fine as I hoped you would be._

"So… what are we going to do?"

_We just have to wait. I can't do anything more._

Waiting. Harry hated that.

_Do you want to play s__ome chess?_

"Well, I guess I don't have much else to do," the teen muttered.

-

Poppy gently checked Harry over, and said:

"I can't find anything wrong with him. He just won't wake up."

Draco looked at the sleeping teen and then at the healer.

"Nothing wrong? You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, he clutched his head before he fell," Hermione said.

"Then I'll make a few more scans."

She waved her wand over his head, muttered a few words and tapped the tip of the wand against a parchment. Immediately writing appeared. She repeated this five times, each time different spells and finally looked at the parchment. She read it through and frowned.

"There is nothing," she finally said. "There is nothing wrong."

Hermione looked at her and then at Harry. She took his hand and said:

"Then why won't he wake up?"

"I don't know," Poppy said.

The doors opened and Severus and Albus entered.

"What happened?" the potions master asked the three teens.

"He was talking, and suddenly clutched his head before fainting," Hermione explained. "We took him here immediately since we couldn't wake him up."

"There's nothing wrong with him?" the man asked them.

"No, nothing," the healer said. "We can't do much other than wait."

-

"You really don't want to miss Christmas, right?" Draco asked the sleeping teen. "All that good food and presents, we can't really wait with Christmas for you, you have to wake up before that."

Harry continued sleeping. The blonde sat down on the bed and looked at the teen's face.

"A few days ago you were fine," Draco murmured and took Harry's hand in his own. "And now we're back at the beginning of this. Sev isn't talking much, Harry. He doesn't want us to see him sad. But I know he is."

No answer. Draco could not honestly say he expected one.

-

Severus tried to focus on grading but he was not doing so well. He was worried about Harry, and now began to worry about Draco. The teen went to classes, did his homework and sat with Harry. The only one he really spoke to was to an unconscious person. That could not really be okay, but Severus had tried to talk to the blonde teen; Draco barely answered. Harry had become so important to the Malfoy he seemed lifeless when Harry was in this condition.

The potions master dropped the quill and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Both of them were slipping away from him. If Harry faded away, so would Draco. They were as close as brothers, Draco seeing it as his duty to keep Harry safe.

And now, when he could not do anything, Draco instead followed Harry wherever he was going. Even if it was a slow walk to death.

-

Hermione took great care with washing Harry's hair, holding his head at the right angle so his neck would not be strained. Ron had gone to fetch some clothes for the raven-haired teen to wear, and Poppy had given in at that.

It had been two weeks and Harry's condition had not changed. He remained in this sleeping state, not moving on his own or giving them any sign that he was really there.

She pushed those thoughts away and dried his hair with a whispered spell. The girl removed the bowl containing the water and gently put Harry's head back onto the pillow.

"Hey."

She turned around to look at Ron who held a small bundle in his arms.

"Draco gave me the clothes."

They busied themselves with the task of redressing their friend, gentle movements so they would not hurt him accidently. Soon he was dressed in a soft, green jumper and a pair of black pants, his feet bare.

"It's scary," Hermione said. "That he doesn't do anything. That nothing we say seems to reach him."

"I know," Ron said. "But we're talking about Harry here. He will wake up." He placed his hand over hers and continued, "Come on, Harry doesn't even know when he's supposed to give in. He just continues."

"You're right."

-

Draco put Snuffles down on the bed, looking over at Harry. The pale sun was shining in his relaxed face, and the blonde said:

"It's nice weather today, you know, for being early December. You would love it. It hasn't begun to snow just yet, but Hermione says it probably won't be long. She and Ron are really lovely-dovey with each other, but still argue like before. They're peculiar your friends."

He sat down and reached for the teddy bear. He looked at it and said:

"Sev's still sad. He's worried over both of us. I guess he has a reason for it. I don't speak much with others anymore. It's like it's not worth it. People say it's stupid to speak to a comatose person but I still do. I am doing it right now, aren't I? Anyway… I heard it makes them wake up sometimes, when people speak to them."

He did not notice that Harry's eyes, underneath the eyelids, moved a bit.

-

"Do comatose people dream?" Harry asked aloud.

_Why do you ask?_

"I'm wondering if I'm dreaming."

_Why?_

"I keep hearing Draco's voice, he's telling me stuff that happens and all," the teen said and looked around the room.

_It could be he's really speaking to you_, other Harry said. _You hear him clearly?_

"Sometimes, sometimes not. Right now he's far away," Harry said and stretched. "Like he's talking to me from a distance."

_Sometimes, it helps comatose people that others speak to them. He might be able to help your body wake up. _

"So the only thing I need to do right now is waking up?"

_Basically yes._

"How come I don't?"

_That, my dear Harry, I'm still trying to figure it out._

-

Severus closed the door and looked at the pale teen lying on the bed. His eyes strayed over to the other one sitting by the bed, book open by the end of the bed and a quill between his teeth.

"Hello, Draco."

Draco looked up and took the quill from his mouth.

"Hi Sev."

"What are you doing?" the potions master said as he walked forward.

"Searching."

"Searching for what?"

"If comatose people dream."

"Why are you wondering?"

"Harry's eyes are moving."

Severus looked over at the sleeping teen. He saw them roll from side to side, like it did when Harry dreamt.

"Maybe they dream," he said. "It looks like he's doing it."

"If he does… I hope he has good dreams."

"I'm sure he has," Severus said. "Draco, please, come and eat dinner with me and sleep in your own bed."

"I want to stay," Draco said.

"I know but I want you to take care of yourself," the potions master said. He stroke Draco's hair gently and continued, "Don't scare me more than I already am."

Draco looked up at him and slowly closed the book.

"Are you scared he will be gone when you get back?" Severus asked quietly.

"… I'm scared that his body will still be here, but his soul won't."

The man hugged Draco lightly and said:

"Me too."

-

Severus gently rotated Harry's arm, softening the muscles and tendons along the way with a subtle trail of magic from the centre of his palm. Harry's body was stiff from sleeping so long, so the potions master had taken it on himself to help the body keep itself in good shape.

He had already taken the legs and torso, now finishing up with the arms and lastly the teen's neck. He closed the teen's hand into a fist, magic flowing into the fingers and lightly dragged both hands along the arm before moving over to begin with the other arm. Harry's soft breathing was like music in his ears, letting him know the raven-haired teen he held dear against all odds was still fighting to live.

-

_Soft beating against his ear. Warmth radiating all around him. Was that an arm wrapped around his shoulders, a steady beating of a heart in his ear? A heart not his._

_Harry was not sure if he was dreaming or not. He tried to move, but everything was heavy. Like he was snuggled up in a mountain of blankets and had no desire to get up. He had no real desire to get up. How he wished to remain in that darkness for… eternity? Until the world stopped turning, until nothingness was all that was left?_

_Steady beats brought him back. A voice perhaps, low and gentle, the touch of a hand running lightly through his hair._

_It was nice._

Draco looked down at Harry's sleeping face and his breath hitched.

The raven-haired teen, propped up to rest with his head on the blonde's chest, was smiling.

-

_You're waking up._

"Am I?" Harry asked, looking up from his book.

_Most likely. Can't you hear Draco?_

"Sometimes," the teen said and closed the book. "Sometimes… I can feel him. You know, if he's brushing my hair, or just holding my hand."

_That's good. Focus on it, try to make it more real._

"How come I suddenly begin to wake up?"

_I'm not sure. I think it has to do with Draco and Severus. They helped your body, and now the mind is ready I guess. Follow the flow, and don't be scared._

-

It happened a few days later, the sign they all had hoped for.

Hermione saw it first, and her eyes widened. The book she had been reading fell to the floor.

"'Mione, what's wrong?" Ron asked. "'Mione?"

"Look…" she said, pointing. "Look, both of you!"

Ron and Draco did.

Harry's fingers were moving. Draco dropped everything he was holding, was by the bed within a few instants. Ron and Hermione were not far behind him.

"Harry?" the blonde teen asked.

Harry's head moved towards the voice, weakly and the eyes moved underneath the eyelids. Hermione took one of the hands, pressed it between hers and Ron's hands came and cupped hers. They could both feel the hand slowly move, wondering what had caught it. Harry's thin fingers curled loosely around one of Hermione's hands.

Draco took the other, the fingers wrapped themselves around one of Draco's fingers and the blonde teen smiled.

"Come on, Harry, wake up for us," Hermione said. "Just open your eyes a little bit."

The eyes moved again underneath the eyelids, and slowly they opened. Ron dimmed the lights, and for the first time in about two months Harry's eyes opened fully.

They waited, holding their breath. How would he be?

"Draco?" His voice sounded dry. He had not spoken for some time, but the name was said clearly.

"Harry."

Ron got a glass of water and the blonde helped Harry sit up while Hermione ran to get Poppy. The teen sipped a little of it, feeling the coolness go down his throat and his eyes closed. It felt good.

He felt good, despite his body was a bit stiff. And best thing was…

He remembered everything.

Once he had finished drinking, Poppy burst into the room with Hermione.

"Hi, Madam Pomfrey," he said.

He was back.

-

Severus came into the room, out of breath.

"Severus."

It was not Draco who said it. It was Harry. Merlin how much he had missed that voice.

"Harry."

It was just the three of them in the room, Severus, Draco and Harry. The raven-haired teen sat up in the bed, supported by pillows, and it was him. It was not the child from before, the child who had been taught everything again; it was the real Harry.

He was by the bed and hugged the teen before he realized he had even moved. Harry laughed a bit, his arms around Severus' torso and he said:

"Sorry I freaked you all out."

"The main thing is that you are awake now, and that you are here with us," Severus said. "But you better not do it again, because I don't know how much more my poor heart can take."

"I'll do my best," the teen said and was released.

"You remember everything? Even from the time your mind was not exactly intact?"

"I remember everything," Harry confirmed. "That must have been freaky, having to deal with me when I was like that."

"No, but it was hard," Draco informed. "Do you know just how much more stubborn you got during that time?"

"Not… really."

"Well, you were," the potions master said with a smile. "You were really good at making us go crazy."

"Um… I'm sorry?"

"Not to mention you made yourself look cute in front of Hermione and Ron," the blonde teen said with a grin.

"I did what?!"

-

Harry listened on as Madam Pomfrey shooed out the hordes of students who wanted to wish him a good recovery, feeling tired. He had been receiving visitors all day long and was actually rather happy it was over for now.

He looked outside the window and saw the snow falling. He had woken up just before the Christmas break. Draco had joked the teen had not wanted to miss out on any presents.

Harry knew it was Draco and Severus who had woken him up in the end. They had been with him; they had wished him to stay alive. Sure, a lot of people wanted him alive, but some wanted him alive because he was the Boy-Who-Lived, and the one who defeated Voldemort. Ron and Hermione wanted him alive as their best friend. The Weasleys as a sort of friend to the family.

Draco and Severus wanted him back to be a part of their small, odd family. Harry fingered on the jumper he was wearing; it was one of Draco's and a bit too large for himself but he liked it either way.

He heard Poppy and Severus talk quietly to each other, probably when to move him back to the potions master's quarters. He was looking forward to leave the Infirmary; he had spent way too much time there for the rest of his lifetime.

-

**Christmas morning**

Severus woke up and opened his eyes slowly. Adjusting to the dim light of the room, his eyes checked it of pure habit before rising up. As he heard talking in the living-room he could not help but smile. He wrapped the robe tightly around himself and walked out.

Harry was seated on the rug in front of the hearth, wrapped in blankets and his hair tousled as usual, looking a bit tired but happy. Draco was sitting next to him, both of them holding cups of chocolate and had scones on a tray.

"Getting started without me?" Severus asked.

"Nope, we just got here!" Draco replied. "Here, coffee!"

He held out a cup and the potions master lowered himself to the floor next to them both before accepting it gratefully. Harry yawned before taking a sip. Severus could not help but notice how pale the teen had become, and so thin.

But he looked happy. That was the main point. Getting muscles and some colour, he had time for that. As long as he was happy Severus was satisfied.

"You haven't opened any gifts yet?" the man asked.

"No, we thought we would wait on you," Harry said.

"Truth is, I didn't get him up until now," the blonde admitted.

"Draco!"

"What? It's true!"

"Well, I woke up hugging you. You are the one who didn't move!"

"Shut up!"

Severus smiled as he watched the two argue like children and finally Harry huffed.

"Anyway," he said, "we haven't opened any."

"Well, start with it then," Severus said. "You don't have to open them all now, but a few."

Draco took the few closest to him from underneath the tree (yes, the two boys had managed to convince the bat of the dungeons there should be a Christmas tree in their living-room) and put them down in front of him, setting aside his cup. Harry bit into a warm scone and peered up at Draco.

"First one here is to Severus from… Albus."

"Oh no, what horror is it this year?" Severus moaned as he took the package.

"A set of robes with colours perhaps?" Harry said innocently.

"I do have robes with colours!"

"Yes," the blonde drawled out, "one so dark green it looks black, one so dark blue it looks black and one with a small line of green lining. Yes, you have robes with colours."

"I'm warning you, young man," Severus said and shook his finger at the teen. Draco stuck his tongue out.

It turned out to be two books about potions, Severus very relieved it was normal gifts for a change and then watched Draco unpack a new dress robe from his mother, Harry hesitantly opening his own. His dress robe was emerald and Draco grinned.

"Either she thought of your eyes or wanted to tell you how much of a Slytherin you are."

"I think the latter," Harry said. "It has silver lining as well. Ron will freak if I have it on… can I have it today?"

Both Slytherins laughed and Harry grinned.

-

Ron did freak and Hermione laughed heartily at her boyfriend. Fred and George swung their arms around the teen, as they had come to Hogwarts for Christmas with one or two surprises (which made Harry talk to Dobby and promise him to never put anything strange in Harry's food) and said:

"Nice robes, our partner-in-crime, very nice indeed! Especially as it made Ronnie freak out!"

"Partner-in-crime?" Severus asked and raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"Well…" the teen began. "I… I helped them get started with their shop."

"And many thanks for that still, my good man!" Fred said. "Now, now, you look a bit under the weather, let's go and get something to eat!"

They were at the Burrow, the two Slytherins and Harry staying the night before retuning to Hogwarts along with Ron and Hermione. The whole Weasley family was there along with many of the Order members which made the dining-room chaotic.

"Wotcher!" Tonks said and high-fived with Harry, her hair bright pink. Remus hugged the teen tightly, kissing the top of his head affectionately before letting everyone else say hello to him. Tonks kissed the werewolf's cheek before dragging him to their spots, Severus raising an eyebrow.

"Didn't you know they got together a week ago or so?" Draco asked.

"No, I didn't."

"Well, now you know I guess."

The dinner was wonderful as usual with Molly's cooking, and the table nearly broke under all the food. She insisted on Harry eating more than he could handle and he felt like resorting to his old behaviour and simply turn his head to Draco's shoulder to show he had had enough but he did not. Instead he took little nibbles and listened to the others talking. They talked more easily now, having no Voldemort to worry about. Harry tuned them out and disappeared into his own world.

He replayed the scene with Voldemort again. He tried to remember exactly what he had done to Voldemort to manage to kill him.

_Don't try it. You won't figure it out._

'Why not?'

_Because you don't know. I don't know. No one knows. But you did it. I guess that's all that matters. They're looking worried. Return to your world. I'll be here if you need anything._

Harry looked up and saw Hermione, Ron and the two Slytherins watching him a bit. He bumped into Draco's side and said:

"Any more biscuits left?"

-

"Are you sure?" Molly asked. "I mean, Fred and George are used to share a bed so that won't be many problems but you two…"

"We are used to it too," Draco said with a charming smile. "Don't worry about Harry falling down, ma'am, it's him who kicks me down."

"I don't do that!" Harry protested as he looked away from the game of Wizard's Chess he was playing with Ron.

"Don't lie to me!" Draco said. "I know better, because it's me who ends up on the floor!"

Harry stuck his tongue out and returned to the game.

-

Molly looked on oddly as Severus prepared two cups of chocolate and a cup of tea before putting it on a tray. Arthur watched the man as well.

"Severus?" Molly finally asked. "You've had a long day, right? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Well, it's become somewhat a tradition," Severus said as he picked up the tray, "for me, Draco and Harry talk a bit with each other before we go to bed. They always demand chocolate and I like to have a cup of tea before going to sleep. Have a good night."

He walked out from the kitchen and the two heard him walk up the stairs.

"He has really changed," Molly murmured.

"Well, that's not such a bad thing is it now?" Arthur asked with a slight smile.

-

Harry lay awake even as Draco's breath had deepened, their backs to each other. The teen looked around the room; they were sleeping in Fred's old bed, Fred sleeping with George in the other bed. Both of them were asleep, already tangled in the sheets and still twisting around. Harry smiled a bit at that.

He fingered on the sheets and closed his eyes. This year had been freaked out. All that had happened had probably changed him.

He did not want to go back to school. He did not want to sit in the Great Hall, and trying to act carefree because he was not. He had not been it for a long time outside the comfort of his few close friends. He dreaded the day he had to go back to school and face the world.

He turned around and buried his face into Draco's shoulder, drawing comfort from the blonde's warmth.

"Harry?"

Draco turned around sleepily and looked at the raven-haired teen. An arm around him, and he was tugged closer to Draco.

"What is it?" the blonde teen asked.

"I don't want to go back to be the Harry Potter again," Harry said. "I can't do it."

Draco was quiet for a long time and Harry closed his eyes in defeat.

"We'll take it as it comes," the blonde said and hugged the slightly smaller teen tighter. "You always got me and Sev to fall back to. You're not alone anymore."

Harry bit his lip and nodded.

"Go to sleep. You need it."

"I haven't done anything else for months," Harry said.

"Yeah, and? You're almost sleep-talking to me."

Harry blinked and found his eyelids to be very heavy. Draco smiled at that and said:

"Go to sleep. Whatever troubles you have, I'll listen to them all tomorrow and we'll take it from there."

Harry smiled and nodded again. Would Draco and himself have been this close if Voldemort had not tried to kill him and caused him that injury? He no longer cared if that would have been the case, because all this had already happened and they now had a future to think about.

Recovery had been done. Planning their newfound freedom from the dark was the next step.

End

* * *

So… yet another strange and open ending from me. And it took a hell of a long time to get this out.

Well, now it's out. And now this story is closed. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as I enjoyed writing it (although I was slow).

Until another time,

Ja,

Tiro


End file.
